For months now, the Pakistan cricket ecosystem has been making doomsday predictions. About brittleness of middle-order, about the potential batting disaster if Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan get out early, about the fielding, about Shaheen Afridi’s fitness, about Babar Azam’s captaincy, about this and that. “Boys are going to come home soon,” was the lament.
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One by one, the other teams started to choke or lose when it mattered, and when South Africa were stunned by the Dutch in the first game of the day, Pakistan found a route to book a semifinal spot. They took it by beating Bangladesh by six wickets with eleven balls to spare. From the brink of being eliminated Pakistan were well and truly back in World Cup contention. When Babar Azam walked in for pre-game training, Netherlands’ Tom Cooper would shout out, “Now make sure you win!” Pakistan would do that.
Afridi sizzles
Shaheen Afridi’s fitness and form had been a concern for Pakistan in this T20 World Cup, but he showed a glimpse of returning to his best against Bangladesh, picking up this career-best figure of 4 for 22.
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He did drag his length back against South Africa, but today the in-swinging yorker was back. The wicket of Mosaddek Hossain with a peach of a delivery was just a gentle reminder for their potential semifinal opponents – England or New Zealand – that the batters must be now ready for his toe-crushers. Litton Das did pull Shaheen for a six, which probably was the shot of the match, but the 22-year-old had the last laugh. What was more impressive was Shaheen’s bowling in the death overs. Three of the four of Shaheen’s wickets came in the death overs.
Gritty Shanto
Najmul Hossain Shanto (48-ball 54) scored his second fifty of the tournament. He took his time, but the acceleration never came. After the early dismissal of Litton Das, Shanto and Soumya Sarkar (20) shared a 72-run partnership for the second wicket to lay a good platform for Bangladesh. But they failed to capitalise on the good start.
Bangladesh were easily looking at a 150-plus score when Shadab Khan again delivered the sucker punch to an opponent in the middle overs. With 180 runs in five matches, Shanto finished as Bangladesh’s leading run-getter in the tournament.
The controversy
Shakib al Hasan’s dismissal was an absolute shocker of a decision. The umpire had given him out lbw. Shakib immediately went for the DRS. There was a clear inside edge, and the bat was above the ground when there was a spike.
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Shakib Al Hasan dismissal. (Screengrab/Twitter)
The drama started when Shakib refused to walk, he dawdled for a few steps but then came back. Only after both, the umpires asked him to go did he reluctantly trudge away.
No respite for Rizwan and Babar
Babar Azam (33-ball 25) ended his streak of single-digit scores but it was another scrappy knock from the Pakistan skipper. Rizwan, on the other hand, got a reprieve by Nurul Hasan behind the wicket, but his run a ball 32 was as streaky as the only six, he hit was against Taskin Ahmed. The duo put on 57 runs for the opening wicket, their first fifty-plus stand in the tournament but it came in 63 balls.
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What was more surprising is that Babar-Rizwan are not only struggling to hit big shots but they are also not able to rotate strike. Taskin troubled them with pace, Mustafizur with variations and Nasum with his slow left-arm spin. With no run-rate pressure, it seemed Pakistan were coasting but the contest turned into a nervy one after Nasum Ahmed (1/14) managed to get the breakthrough.
The left-arm spinner, who was brilliant in the Powerplay returned in the 11th over to end Azam’s anxious stay. Ebadot Hossain then dismissed Rizwan in the next over.
Haris and Masood to rescue
After his breathtaking 11-ball 28 against South Africa, Mohammad Haris showed he is not a one-game wonder. The swashbuckling batter scored 31 (18 balls) at a brisk pace and by the time he got out, Pakistan were almost there. In Haris and Iftikar Ahmed, both going for the glory, Pakistan lost two quick wickets in the fag end, but Shan Masood (24 not out) made sure that there is no twist in the tale.
Brief Scores
Bangladesh: 127 for 8 in 20 overs (Najmul Hossain Shanto 54; Shaheen Afridi 4/22, Shadab Khan 2/30) lost to Pakistan: 128 for 5 in 18.1 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 32, Mohammad Haris 31; Nasum Ahmed 1/14)
